#EarthDay

April 22, 2015

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!! In honor of this auspicious occasion I want to take the opportunity to talk about the SJU Green Fund.

What is the Green Fund, you ask? Well, it’s an organization that brings students and faulty together to make environmentally conscious and sustainable changes around campus. Some past projects include:

Reusable to-go containers for all first year students

Recycling, trash and compost sorting cans in Campion

Contribution to Solar Panel Project

Sponsorship and collaboration with Earth Week Programming

Sponsorship of various student organization programming throughout the year

Relay for Life water bottles

Recycling bins for all classrooms

Recycling bins for all on-campus resident rooms

Reusable to-go containers for all first-year students

Additional water bottle filling stations through campus

High efficiency lighting in Claver Hall

Orientation 2013 water bottles

Water Bottle Filling Stations which can be found in 28 locations across campus

High efficiency lighting in the lower gym of O’Pake Recreation Center

Hawks for H2O program

Water Awareness Week program

The Green Fund supports a variety of projects that are submitted by students, groups, organizations, faculty, staff, administration and community members that result in a positive impact on the environment and the community. All applicants fill out the same form to request funding and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis (though projects that benefit SJU students will be considered first). Projects considered generally include: investment in clean energy, energy efficiency, water conservation, green buildings, sustainable transportation, expanded recycling and composting, student internships, and more!

The environment affects everyone! If we can’t help on a global scale the least we can do is work on a more local level here at SJU. The best we can do is respect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the ground we walk, and the food we eat. We are stewards of the earth; it is our duty to preserve what is around us.